1. EVALUATE AND RESOLVE CREATIVE AND TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS RELATED TO A RANGE OF CREATIVE PROBLEMS, ARRIVING AT APPROPRIATE RESOLUTIONS TO ACHIEVE THE MODULE GOAL.
5 - PROBLEM SOLVING

2. SHOW DEVELOPING SKILLS IN CONCISE AND CLEAR COMMUNICATION OF CREATIVE IDEAS IN A RANGE OF PRESENTATION METHODS: WRITTEN, SPOKEN AND VISUAL AND DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY TO EXERT A POSITIVE INFLUENCE AS PART OF A GROUP PRODUCTION
6 - COMMUNICATION

3. USE AND APPLY A RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL PRE-PRODUCTION PLANNING AND PRODUCTION METHODS IN MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION AS PART OF A GROUP ANIMATED PROJECT.
7 - APPLICATION

4. BY THE USE OF QUESTIONING, CRITICISM AND SPECULATION ABOUT GENRE, THEORIES AND TECHNICAL ISSUES AFFECTING THE ANIMATION PRODUCTION, RELATE THIS TO YOUR DEVELOPMENT AS AN INDIVIDUAL ANIMATOR.
8 - REFLECTION

Students will be expected to attend all module sessions in order to benefit from the delivery and understanding of new material, gain understanding of module expectations / tasks and to engage in weekly peer-to-peer and tutor feedback.

Collaborative Production Project includes assessment components:
Individual Pre-Production Portfolio – on-line submission evidencing your individual ideas generation, industry standard pre-production planning, storyboard and animatic development (and iterations) – supporting the development of a simple 1-minute animated scenario. (40%)
Learning Outcomes: 5, 6, 7

Pitch & Present – a formal 5-minute presentation of completed pre-production development work for a simple 1-minute animated scenario, which clearly communicates your creative ideas to a group of peers and Course staff.
Presentations will be filmed for review and feedback. (20%)
Learning Outcomes: 6, 8

Collaborative Contribution portfolio – documented evidence of your individual contribution to the group project and of professional collaboration and working with others.
Completed 1-minute animated scenario. (40%)
Learning outcomes: 5, 6, 7, 8

Supporting work will be submitted via a professional, appropriately formatted and organised on-line BLOG.

All students will be expected to submit completed screen-based Portfolios for assessment via the professional video-sharing platform Vimeo (www.vimeo.com)

Please see module handbook for further details. It is expected that you will understand digital formats for submission of digital work.

This is a pathway module designed to support you in your chosen specialism of animation production: 3D Digital.

As part of the ‘REFLECT. SELECT. EVOLVE.’ process at the end of each Semester and with negotiation with your personal tutor or Award Leader you will select a method of animation to respond to the module requirements to support your career goals and ambitions.

Building upon the skills knowledge established in ‘Story Art Portfolio’, ‘Professional Portfolio:1’ and ‘Anatomy of Animation: 1 & 2’ this module will develop your professional practical skills further in more advanced notions of pre-production planning, ideas generation and communication in the production of a group project.

The module will have two parts:

PART 1: Pre-Production planning & development (weeks 1-5)
For the first 5 weeks of the module you will work individually, when we will look at basic story / scenario construction, short format script and adaptation of written forms as part of the creation of industry standard storyboard, animatic and pre-vis material to support the ‘pitch & presentation’ of a 1-minute animated scenario.

At the end of Part 1 (week 5) all students will take part in the ‘Pitch & Present’ sessions, where you will formally present your completed pre-production portfolio of ideas to the group. Presentations must include clear description of the expected pre-production material to support a 1-minute animated sequence.
At this point you will be marked on your ‘Individual Pre-Production Portfolio’.
Based on the ‘Pitch & Present’ process course Staff will select a number of sequences. These ‘Green-lit’ projects will go into production in Part 2 of the module.

The pitching and presentation of ideas is a fundamental aspect of the moving image industries – a process that we want our graduates to be experienced in before entering the world of employment.
Talking in public and sharing ideas can be challenging – but also equally rewarding – and is a key skill for your future career as an animator.

Whilst the ‘Green-light’ selection process may seem harsh, it replicates the reality of Industry practise and standards, where creative competitiveness is expected and as such is something that we want our Graduates to be prepared for.

PART 2: Collaborative Production (weeks 6-12)
On confirmation of the ‘Green-lit’ projects from Part 1, you will form small collaborative production teams. Individual members will be aligned with industry-facing creative roles which will support your specialism skills – through which you will work with others to create and produce your assigned 1-minute animated scenario. Animated scenarios will be completed to a professional industry standard and may be created using pre-existing or bespoke assets.

The focus of Part 2 is the demonstration of professional collaborative skills and working with others to achieve a unified creative task.

Lectures will support shared principles that apply to all specialisms.
Technical instruction will then be split into your specialist specific groupings where pathways are supported by weekly lectures in which specialism specific software tuition and contextual support is delivered to support the module and project requirements.

You will demonstrate advanced use and understanding of the LAV – Live Action Video reference.

Collaborative Production Project: 1 intends to prepare you with essential, industry-expected skills that will enable you to professionally and effectively communicate your ideas and skills to contribute to a range of collaborative productions.

This module content is designed to progress in parallel with below course modules where content and wider-learning opportunities are highlighted and Dove-Tailed:
STORY ART PORTFOLIO
CHARACTER ANIMATION PORTFOLIO: 1
ANATOMY OF ANIMATION: 1
ANATOMY OF ANIMATION: 2

A series of supporting Technical Instruction sessions (T.I.’s) will also be available to all students to further promote individual learning, knowledge and understanding of Technical software.

Studio learning takes place in timetabled sessions with academic staff who introduce key contextual and practice-based lectures focused on the development of:
A negotiated piece of Animation Production¿
Advanced pre-production development of ideas
Forms of effective communication essential for working with others
Lectures will deliver core concepts, theory and practical tools necessary to build a repertoire of pre-production skills in support of your specialism Pathway as an intermediate foundation for further development in your Third year of study.

Through these initial lectures you will gain an understanding of the core concepts, theory and practical tools necessary to produce and communicate¿a body of pre-production work as well as effectively contribute to the production of a group project.

Pathway specific Technical instruction sessions will be assigned to assist software applications and craft-based learning.
Attendance at Technical instruction sessions will be crucial for the understanding and use of software applications and physical production methods in the creation of mouth shapes.

Independent study will form the majority of time spent "answering the brief" through evidence of research visual analysis, preparatory drawings, studio work and application of methods and processes necessary for completion of assignments.¿

Formative assessment points support your studio practice through evaluation and will take place at critical points of the semester to review working progress.¿

Summative assessment takes place at the end of the module where the work will be presented for final assessment.¿

Final Assessment should include all components of the module submitted via Presentation, Vimeo or BLOG.

Throughout the module you will be required to demonstrate your understanding and application of the core concepts required to develop a range of animated sequences that you will require throughout the award and your future career.

Traditional and digital tools will be available to use throughout the module and students should explore a range of techniques appropriate to the given task.

Your work will be supported by online resources from a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) providing resources for study. As the majority of completed work is submitted digitally this is an integral part of learning on the course.¿

Students will also have access to a range of video tutorials from online learning resource providers.

Group critique and discussion will support your studio practice through weekly formative evaluation and will take place throughout the module as well as at critical points of the semester to review your working progress. Students are expected to engage in this process as part of the module feedback cycle.
Summative assessment takes place at the end of the module where digital / online portfolios will be presented for final assessment.¿

Where required, booking of equipment and facilities may be necessary by the student.

ON-LINE READING LISTS WILL BE UPDATED ANNUALLY.
THIS IS AN INDICATION OF REFERENCE TEXTS REQUIRED FOR 2019-20 ONLY.

DOWLATABADI, Z & WINDER, C (2011) ‘Producing Animation’, Focal Press

KATZ, S (1991) Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualising from Concept to Screen. Michael Wiese Productions

KERLOV I (2009) ‘The Art of 3D Computer Animation and Effects’, Wiley Press

MARK, S (2012) ‘Storyboards, Motion in Art’, Butterworth-Heinemann

MILIC, L & McCONVILLE, Y (2006) ‘The Animation Producer's Handbook’, Open University Press

PILLING, J (2001) ‘Animation: 2D & Beyond’, Diane Publishing Company

Links:
www.vimeo.com

Animation Studio facilities.
2D line testers and light-boxes.
A3 scanners.
Digital Animation Suite – Toon Boom Harmony. Storyboard Pro. Autodesk Maya. Adobe Photoshop, Premiere, After Effects.
Seminar / Lecture room with projector.
Stop Motion Animation studios – Dragon Frame. Canon SLR digital cameras. Lighting.
VLE: Blackboard / Digital Tutors / Lynda.com¿/ other supporting Online resources
Vimeo.com – to be used for display and submission of completed work.
Stop Motion Armature(s) / Articulated puppet(s) / Mouth Shape library
Pre-recorded Audio Track(s)


University Library resources: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/uniservices/infoservices/library/¿
Reference books / DVD collection / Journals and periodicals (physical & online)